The Kano State Police Command has warned individuals and organisations against conducting medical outreaches or administering drugs and locally made medicines without approval from relevant authorities, following the arrest of five suspects in Kano.

The command issued the warning in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa.

According to the statement, operatives of the 52 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Challawa, intercepted six male suspects attached to the Brother Paul Legacy Foundation at the ECWA Church located behind the 52 PMF Base in Challawa on Monday.

The police said the suspects, led by 50-year-old Simon Gbaaondo from Karu in Nasarawa State, were allegedly administering unverified and unauthorised locally made medicine to a large crowd of residents from the Panshekara community.

According to the command, the medicine was being distributed free of charge and also offered for sale without clearance from the Kano State Government, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), or other relevant health regulatory agencies.

The police said the activity had earlier generated public complaints and concerns among residents before the intervention of security operatives.

It added that the person who hosted the suspects at the church premises had also been invited to assist with the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unauthorised medical activity.

The statement said the matter was initially reported at the Panshekara Police Division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where the five suspects are currently undergoing further investigation.

The command warned that individuals and organisations must not administer drugs, locally made medicines or organise medical outreaches without proper authorisation and verification from the relevant authorities.

“Such acts pose serious health and security risks to the public, especially when large crowds are involved,” the statement said.

The police also reaffirmed their commitment to protecting residents and maintaining public order across the state.

“The Kano State Police Command remains committed to ensuring the safety, security and well-being of all residents and will not condone any activity capable of endangering public health or public order,” the statement added.

The command urged members of the public to report any suspicious medical outreaches or distribution of unverified medicines to the nearest police station.

Police have arrested a key suspect after vandals damaged six transmission towers along the Yola-Jalingo 330kV transmission line, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said.

TCN said its engineers discovered during a routine patrol on July 29 that towers T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003 and T1004 had been vandalised. The attackers reportedly removed important bracing parts and stole about 130 tower components, putting the structures at risk.

Following the discovery, TCN and the Nigeria Police carried out a joint operation in the affected community on July 30, working with local leaders and youths to identify those responsible.

The company said the police informed it on August 1 that a major suspect had been arrested and some of the stolen materials recovered.

“TCN officials visited the site to verify the recovered materials and reiterated the call for the full prosecution of the suspect to ensure justice is served,” the company said.

TCN also disclosed that investigators had obtained useful information from the suspect and were searching for other members of the alleged vandalism gang.

“The Police have obtained solid leads from the suspect in custody and remain committed to tracking down the remaining members of the syndicate. Investigations are ongoing,” the company added.

The company condemned the repeated attacks on electricity infrastructure, describing them as a threat to the national grid and years of investment in the power sector.

It urged communities to report suspicious activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.

Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA have forced suspected bandits to flee during an operation in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State, recovering 147 stolen livestock.

The development was contained in a post shared on X on Wednesday by security analyst Bakatsine.

According to the post, the troops intercepted the bandits while they were moving the stolen animals, forcing them to abandon the livestock and escape from the area.

“The recovered animals included 101 cows, 44 sheep and two camels. Soldiers also recovered three motorcycles believed to have been used by the fleeing bandits during the operation,” Bakatsine wrote.

The recovered livestock, according to him, had been returned to their rightful owners, bringing relief to families whose livelihoods depend on the animals.

In a similar incident, Bakatsine revealed on Tuesday night that suspected bandits had attacked Kaura, Wanke, Sage, Marake and Aggur villages in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers rustled a large number of livestock, injured several residents and shot two people in the legs.

The victims were taken to Shagari General Hospital for treatment.